New Delhi, April 16 -- French President Emmanuel Macron dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, ahead of a conference to be hosted by Britain and France on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and discussed the situation in West Asia.

Modi said on social media that he received a phone call from Macron and they had "agreed on the need to urgently restore safety and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz".

"We will continue our close cooperation to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond," he added, without giving details. There was no official readout from the Indian side on the conversation, which came two days after US President Donald Trump called Modi to discuss the West Asia crisis.

Macron had spoken with I...